Fool me once

Posted by Bruce Kahl on October 21, 2005

In Reply to: Fool me once posted by Bob on October 20, 2005

: : : : Does anyone know the origins of "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
: : : : thanx

: : : Here's all I know:

: : : FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU; FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME - "Anyone who falls for the same deceit twice must accept responsibility for his own gullibility; thus, one should be more watchful the next time around. Originally a child's saying." From the Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

: : A child's saying? Clever child. SS

: More like, a parent speaking to a child. It apparently is too complex for at least one adult: President Bush famously tried to say this once in a speech, and got tangled up in the words.

"There's an old saying in Tennessee I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee--that says, fool me once, shame on--shame on you. Fool me-- you can't get fooled again."
President George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002